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Click HERE for a link  to local shops open and offering service in Kington

Click HERE for a link to local shops open and offering services in Presteigne.

Message for all parishioners in Pembridge Parish.

Here to Help!

Thank you to all those who have registered on the website and returned your information slips over the last week, this information is helping to identify possible volunteers and vulnerable people, so if you haven’t sent yours in yet please do to clerk@pembridgeparishcouncil.gov.uk or post to the address on the letter.

You should have by now received a letter from Herefordshire Council in response to the Covid 19 outbreak providing simple steps to take and support contact details.

You can call the support line on 01432 260027 or email talkcommunitycovidresponse@herefordshire.gov.uk

Over the coming weeks it is important our community looks out of each other, please think about your neighbours or elderly people nearby, give them a quick phone call to check all is well and please offer help if you can.

If you are or know someone in need of help, Pembridge Good Neighbour Scheme (PGNS) are organising volunteers to call on for essential supplies, prescriptions and well being contact.

PGNS - Please telephone 07779 122499  between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

If you are able to volunteer you please let us know clerk@pembridgeparishcouncil.gov.uk or help in the wider county please contact www.herefordshire.gov.uk/covid19help

There are some local business offering home delivery. Here are some but by all means not all, if you know of any others please let us know and we will update the list.

Townsend Farm Shop – https://www.thewhatmeatcompany.co.uk or Call 01544388527

The Steppes – deliveries from the shop - 01544388506

Red Lion for Takeaway -  01544388007

Bells in Almeley – 01544327216 – email – thebellsinnalmeley.com

Lyonshall Garden Centre - Delivery service for garden needs - 01544340214

Helpful Links

NHS – Information on Symptoms

Herefordshire Council – Information

Gov.uk – Masses of information for all areas

Please remember there are scams operating on all platforms.

• Do not give your bank details to anyone claiming to help you. Never give your PIN number to anyone either.
• Do not click through on emails or other message links  - visit their webpage instead
• Do not sign contracts with third parties who claim to be acting on behalf of the Council.

Coronavirus update from Herefordshire Council

Herefordshire Council are currently experiencing a very high demand at the moment with the daily announcements from the government. As we’re sure you can appreciate, we are putting all of the necessary measures in place to ensure we have business continuity for our service in these uncertain times.

Here is an update: 

Council Tax 

Residents left struggling to pay their Council Tax can apply for Council Tax Reduction, which is a form of reduction from a Council Tax bill based on the household composition and income. More information on Council Tax Reduction and how to claim can be found here. 

Self-employed residents can put in a request for their Council Tax installments to be deferred until June, where needed. In such circumstances, requests must be made by emailing counciltax@herefordshire.gov.uk including their Council Tax account reference number (8 digits long, beginning with 1) and proof of their self-employed status.

Business grants 

Businesses eligible for grants will be contacted directly by smallbusinessgrants@herefordshire.gov.uk.

Online services 

Given the high demand currently, Herefordshire Council are urging all of our customers to register on our online portal to view their accounts for Council Tax, Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction, Business Rates and Landlord services online to help speed up the response time to customers’ queries.

Doing so will also allow customers to sign up for electronic billing for Council Tax and electronic notifications for Housing Benefits and/or Council Tax Reduction.

Visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/myaccount.

General updates

Residents can also subscribe to receive the latest updates on COVID-19 in Herefordshire here.

WISH is a Herefordshire based resource where you can find help and support in the County.

https://www.wisherefordshire.org 

Link to newsletter from Police Commissioner, John Champion.

Herefordshire Council has stated, residents that pay council tax over ten months can switch their ‘free’ months from Feb & Mar 2021 to earlier this year if needed. The council will be releasing full details very soon on how you can request this and further help and support around payments.

Other helpful links 👇

www.herefordshire.gov.uk/eclaim for new applications for Council Tax Reduction

Link to information from Herefordshire Council for Businesses

Herefordshire Council have been developing a Talk Community Covid Response and are sending every household in Herefordshire (88k) a letter focused on the vulnerable people and the support they will need outside of their existing network.  They have a central coordination centre with a dedicated telephone line for vulnerable people and volunteers to contact them and they will then link them back into the community organisations.  There is already some fantastic community responses happening and the council can support the infrastructure through this response and provide community resilience.

People wishing to volunteer can register and vulnerable people needing support can register on the following link: https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/covid19help, the dedicated telephone number will be fully live from Tuesday 24^th March which is 01432 260027 and email address talkcommunitycovidresponse@herefordshire.gov.uk.

Link to poster

The Playground will be closed until further notice

The council’s Economic Development Team delivers a service called the Marches Growth Hub Herefordshire.  This online service offers FREE support services for all local businesses.  There are a number of government supported initiatives that can potentially help businesses through this unprecedented time of uncertainty. 

If you are a business wishing to have further information on Covid-19 then the details of the local support are available on the Marches Growth Hub Website - https://www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/advice-and-support/coronavirus-information-for-businesses/  Alternatively if you wish to discuss with a member of the Economic Development team please contact01432 261758 or 01432 383633 or business@herefordshire.gov.uk 

Update on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19):

Herefordshire Council and its partners are well prepared to deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). There are tried and tested procedures to prevent further spread and the NHS is very well prepared and used to managing infections. 

You may receive or already had questions and queries from your community about the coronavirus. To help assist and support you signpost people to the most suitable sources of information please visit the Herefordshire Council website https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/coronavirus. The website has links to a variety of guidance documents which you may find useful for people.  We advise that you do not print or download guidance but use the links provided, which will be updated as required based on new information.

How you can help:

There are a number of message your Parish Council can do to help promote awareness.

• Encourage people to wash their hands regularly with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds, especially before cooking and eating; after using the toilet and using public transport. Please display the enclosed posters within your communities.
• Remind people to ‘Catch it. Bin it. Kill it’: If you sneeze or cough remember to catch it with a tissue; bin it and kill it by washing your hands or using a hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water isn’t available.
• Advise people to follow PHE’s returning traveller advice: There are some countries and areas where there's a higher chance of coming into contact with someone with coronavirus. If you have returned from travelling outside of the UK within the last 14 days please check and follow the PHE specificadvice for returning travellers.
• Add the ‘Catch it. Bin it. Kill it’ to your email signature (copy in my signature below): remind people to practice good respiratory and hand hygiene by adding theenclosed logo to the bottom of your email signature.  
• Signpost people to reputable sources of information: stay up to date and avoidmisinformation by visiting and signposting people to the below web pages.  

Additional sources of general information:

For the latest, reputable sources of information about this coronavirus please visit and signpost the general public to the following websites:

• Health advice about coronavirus: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
• Latest information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public   
• Frequently asked Questions: https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/

Herefordshire Council's newly produced “County Plan”

outlines the ambitions of the county over the next four years. 

The County Plan

The priorities as outlined in the plan cover the follow areas:

ENVIRONMENT - Protect and enhance our environment and keep Herefordshire a great place to live

COMMUNITY - Strengthen communities to ensure that everyone lives well and safely together

ECONOMY- Support an economy which builds on the county’s strengths and resources

www.gov.uk/coronavirus

A group of Herefordshire Tree Wardens led by Tony Norman have been working on a plan to make disease resistant elm trees available to the public for planting.

There are several different varieties available, all have very good resistance to Dutch Elm disease and will grow with a similar form to the trees of yesteryear. These are best planted in hedgerows or in positions where they can become features in our landscape.

Elm Tree Offer

European White Elm  £10 (Plant anywhere esp. wet or waterlogged sites)

LUTECE  £10  (plant in good or heavy soils –needs staking to start)

Wingham  £12  (plant in good soils)

Fiorente    £12   Available Dec (plant in good soils)

Ademuz    £12   Available Dec (plant in good or heavy soils)

Please follow this LINK for full details or contact Tony Norman  -  tony@theleen.co.uk

Help to keep warm and well this winter. Keep Herefordshire Warm offers FREE home energy advice and support • l Would your home benefit from increased insulation and/or improved heating? • l Are you worried about how you are going to pay your gas and electricity bills this winter? • l Do you feel uncomfortable or ill because of cold or damp in your home? If you think you or someone you know would benefit from this service or intervention please contact Keep Herefordshire Warm on 0800 677 1432 or text 07583 940914 or email khw@mea.org.uk

Please use these details if you are concerned about the wellbeing or safeguarding of children or vunerable adults

More information Here